Apparatus for shearing molten glass



y .F. L. o. WADSWORTH 7 2,202,409,

APPARATUS FOR SHEARING MOLTEN GLASS orig inal Filed Jan. 18, 1935 2 h et 1 INVENTO aw gfwmm yak/ATTORNEYS.

May 28, 1940. F. L. o. WADS WORTH I 2,202,409

vAPPARATUS FOR SHEARING' MOLTEN GLASS Original Filed Jan. 18, 1955 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

M wz m 44 A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 28, 1940 om'rso stares PATENT OFFICE,

APPARATUS FOR SHEARING MOLTEN GLASS v Frank L. 0. Wadsworth, deceased, late of Pittsbiiigh, Pa, by Mildred M. Wadsworth, ad-

ministratrix, Pittsburgh, Pa... 'assignor to Bali Brothers Company, Muncie, 11141., a corporation of Indiana Original application January 18, 1935, Serial No.

Divided and this'application June 1,

1937, Serial No. 145,667

particularly to an improved apparatus for and method of severing a continuously flowing stream (Cl. 49- 14) A nection with the forming mam and illustrates its relation to the forehearth of a glass feeding device; 1 I I Fig. 2 is a section elevation of the shear mech- 6 of molten glass into individual mold charges and anism shown in Fig. 1, taken through the center vti for delivering such severed charges tothe molds of the flow. orifice in the forehearth; 1 of the forming machine, and is a division of a Fig. 3 is a horizonal section on the plane III- pending application Serial No. 2,361, filed Jan- III of Fig. 2; I uary 18, 1935, by Frank L. O. Wadsworth, de- Fig. 4 is a sectional-elevation onfthe planes ceasei IVIV Of Figs. 2 and I 10 The principal object of this invention is to pro- Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on a greatly envide a new and improved means for severing a larged scale on the planeV-V of Fig. 4; continuously flowing mass of molten glass into Fig. 6 isa sectional elevation of another form of individual mold charges and for delivering each shear and accelerated delivery mechanism'which' 5 formed mold charge to an individual mold of one embodies certain features of the present improveor more series of molds while such molds are ments; v l moving and for projecting such charges at a high Fig. 1' is a sectional plan view of the plane VII-.- velocity along a predetermined path which termi- VII of Fig. .6; nates in such moving mold Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the'mechanism A further object of this invention is to provide shown in Figs. 6 and 7; and 2o 5 a shear mechanism which not only severs a con- Fig-9 is apartial rear view. of another modifiv tinuously flowing stream and. projects each such cation of the mechanism shown in Figs. 6 to 8, severed mold charge downwardly at a high veinclusive. I 1 locity but in which the mechanism is so arranged Referring to thedrawings in detail, I0 repreas to move the mold charges laterally as well as. sents a forehearth, feeder bootor container for 25 downwardly so that at the instant of entering molten glass which is attached to the front end the mold, a component of the projected motion. of a glass melting furnace or tank and from of each charge is substantially in line with the which the molten glass is being fed byany suitdirection in which the mold is traveling. The mable mechanism (none shown) in a continuously .30 improved shear mechanism is so arranged that flowing' but pulsating stream through-an orifice at the moment of severing a charge from the ll in the bottom of the .forehearth Id. molten stream it lightly embraces the severed The stream of glass flowing continuously charge and it is then moved downwardly at a through the orifice H issevered into mold charges speed materially in excess ofthat of the flowing by the improved shear mechanism S which is stream and also substantially in excess of that equipped with quick acting shears and is so ar- 35 of a freely falling body and the severed charge ranged that immediately subsequent to such is therebydelivered to the receiving receptacle severance the shear is not only moved downat a velocity which is much greater than it would wardly at a speed greater than the glass flow acquire under the action of gravity alone and withinv the stream but also at a speed greater '40 during this accelerated downward movement the than the velocity of drop under the action of 40 charge embracing shear elements are preferably gravity, and in addition to this isfurthermoved moved laterally in the direction in which the relaterallyso that each mold charge severed by the calving receptacle is traveling and the rate of shearmechanism S is projected at a high ve-- lateral displacement of the. directed charge is locity in a downwardly, inclined direction with the preferably substantially equal to the circumferlateral component of its motion substantially in 45 ential speed of mold movement at the time when the same direction as that in which the mold the charge enters the mold.- adapted to receivethe charge is travelingat the These and other objects which will hereinafter time of reception. The shear mechanism S is be made readily apparent to those skilled in this equipped with a pair of quick acting shear blades 5.0 particular art are accomplished by means of the l5l5, preferably of the cats-eye type and so invention described in the following specification located that they sever the stream issuing from and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the orifice ll immediately below that orifice. The wherein: blades 15-45 are mounted on a swinging Figure 1 is. an elevation partly in section illus- U-shaped head l6, which in turn is supported by.

5s trating the improved shear mechanism in conparallel links lJ-ll, pivotallysecured to a suitable bracket I8, projecting upwardly from the bottom plate IQ of the forming machine frame, and also pivotally secured to the head it. Each shear blade l5-i5 is secured to an arm as which is rotatably supported on shaft 2! that is journalecl in the arms or prongs of the U-shaped head l5; and each arm 28 is provided with a gear sector 22 which meshes with an intermediate bevel gear 23 journaled on a suitable stub shaft 24 carried by the head it. One of the arms 20 is keyed to the shaft 2i, and this shaft is also provided with a shear closing cam finger 25 rigidly secured thereto.

The head H5 is adapted to swing from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown in full lines in that figure, while and after the shears are being moved from their uppermost open position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 (and in dotted lines in Fig, 2) to the full line position of Fig. 2; and the cam finger 25 is so located on the shaft 25 that when the head l6 and the associated parts are located in the upper most position (dotted line position), the finger is adapted to be engaged by a cam 26 mounted on the vertical drive shaft 2? (Figs. 1 and5), the lower end of which is journaled in the plate ill and which is driven from the motor M through the gear, shaft, worm and worm gear elements 28, 29, 3D and M. The cam 25 is so formed, and the relationship between it and the finger 25 is such, as to gradually accelerate the closing movement of the shear blades l5-l5 and to complete the closing movement or the severance of the flowing stream while the blades are moving at their maximum closing velocity. In order to facilitate the relative movements of the cooperating elements during the final acceleration period of stream severance, the outer end of the cam lobe 26 may be provided with a cam roller 26a.

The angular position of the cam 25 on the shaft 21 is so adjusted that the shears are closed in proper timed relation with the feeder mechanism (not shown) so that the severance of the stream is accomplished at sections of the stream of minimum cross-sectional area. The final closing of the shears is accomplished or accelerated. by a snap spring 32-82, hereinafter more fully described.

In order to prevent any checking of the flow through the orifice H at the time of severance, the blades are adapted to move downwardly not only after the severance is completed, but also during their passage into and through the stream of flowing glass; and at this time they preferably move downwardly at a speed which is at least equal to that of this stream, but which is less than the accelerated speed of the shear blade closing movement. This downward movement is effected by connecting the parallel links l'l--Il to a pneumatically operated piston 35 which is mounted in a cylinder 38 that is carried by the machine frame. The piston 35 is operatively connected to the links lllll by means of the piston rod 31 and the links 38.

The delivery of actuating fluid to the cylinder 36 is controlled by a double piston valve 18 which is so arranged, with relation to its casing ll and the ports 42- 33 formed therein, that when the valve is in its uppermost position-as shown in Fig. 2--fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinder above the piston 35 and the portion of the cylinder below the piston is open to the atmosphere. An inspection of the illustration forming a partof Fig. 2 will also disclose that when the valve 48 is in its lowermost position, fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinder below the piston 35, whereas the portion of the cylinder above the piston is then open to the atmosphere. By this arrangement, reciprocations of the valve 40 control the reciprocation of the piston 35 and thus control and time the swing of the shear carrying head it. Air under pressure is preferably employed as the motive fluid delivered to the cylinder 33 and is received by the casing 45 of the valve 40 through a pipe C and associated passages and ports.

The valve 463 is'actuated by means of face cam l4 mounted on the shaft El (Fig. 1) and a 00- operating cam lever assembly, which comprises a cam roller 45 carried by an arm 46, a cross shaft 41 to which the arm 46 is secured, and a second arm 68 which is keyed to the shaft 47 and is provided with a bifurcated end which embraces a downwardly projecting portion of the stem Mia of the valve 46, and a coil spring 49 which acts on the arm 48 and yieldingly presses the roller 45 against that surface of the face cam M. The cam controlled movement of the lever assembly it-48, etc., is imparted to the valve it! by means of a lost-motion connection which, as illustrated, is provided by threading nuts 5l-5il onto the stem dila so that they are located on opposite sides of the bifurcated end of the arm &8. With this arrangement, the extent of the lost motion may be adjusted, and the time of operation of the piston 35 may be varied slightly by adjusting the position of one or both the nuts 50, and without changing the adjustment or the positioning of the cam 4 1 on the shaft 21.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the downward movement of the shears may be, and preferably is, initiated prior to the time that the severance of the stream, by the blades i5 is completed, and that the shears then continue their downward movement after the blades have completed their cutting movement at a greatly accelerated velocity. In order to maintain control of the severed mold charge, the shear blades l5 are provided with downwardly projecting semi-cylindrical guard sleeves Hid-45a, each of which is so located on its supporting blade that when the blades are in the closed position the two guards cooperate to form i an open bottom cylindrical receptacle which envelops the severed charge as illustrated in Fig. 2.

When the shear head 16 arrives at its lowermost position, the shear blades l 5-! 5 are opened, and the severed mold charge is thus released from its engagement with the sleeve guards i5ai5a-, and continues its downward movement along the direction imposed on it by the downwardly swinging blades. In other words, the

charge is projected along a line tangent to the end of the arcuate downward movement of the shear blades, and consequently the blades together with their carrying guards l5al5a., are preferably opened, or at least partially opened, prior to the completion of the downward swing of the shear head It. This opening of the blades i5--l5 is accomplished by a stationary Wedgeshaped blade or cam 52 which is adjustably motmted on the machine frame, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and is so located that its inclined face engages a finger 53, carried by the lower shear arm 20. The snap springs 32-32 first resist and then complete the opening of the shears.

As illustrated the springs 32-32 (Fig. 3) are may be limited and adjusted by means of stop nuts 55-55 located on a downwardly projecting extension 31a of the piston rod 31, which projects through a suitable aperture formed in a bracket of the machine frame. The upward movement of the shear head it may also be cushioned by a spring 56 carried by the machine frame and arranged to engage at least one of the links H as the shear head moves upwardly.

It will be noted that the shear opening blade or cam 52 is provided with a screw threaded shank 52a, and is held inplace by clamping nuts 52b-52b which engage either side of a suitable bracket 520 secured to the machine frame; and that therefore the time of shear opening, with relation to the downward swing of the shears, may be adjusted throughout a relatively wide range, and that this adjustment may be accom plished while the shear mechanism is in operation.

The operation of the shear mechanism is as follows: As the shear head 16 swingsupwardly,

the blades l5 are open, therefore, their upwardmovement does not in any way interfere with the charge forming operation which is taking place below the orifice ll. After the issuing stream of molten glass is swelled by the feeder mechanism, the cam 26 comes into engagement with the finger and initiates the shear closing movement which is completed by the combined action of the cam and finger and the double acting snap spring 32. During the shear closing operation, and just before the shear blades are in actual cutting engagement with the depending stream of glass issuing from the orifice ll, the downward movement of the head it isinitiated by the cam actuated valve 40, which is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus admitting compressed air to the top of the cylinder 36 and causing the piston to move downward. In this way the shear cut is completed while the blades are moving axially with the flowing stream-thus preventing any piling up of the molten material therein-and the downward motion is continued, at a rapidly accelerated rate after a mold charge is severed and is ready for delivery to a press or parison mold.

As already explained, the movement of the shear head assembly is a combined downward and lateral travel, or in other words, isan arouate movement defined and controlled by the parallel linkage I'l-lfl, during which the moving parts-including the severed moldcharge-all travel in parallel relationship. As the head It nears the end of its downward swing, the finger 53 engages the stationary blade cam 52, thus opening the shear blades [5 as the head completes its downward movement. It should be understood that the snap spring 32 is preferably so arranged that it will complete this opening movement, although the positioning and adjustment of the cam blade 52 may be such that the cam in and of itself will complete the shear opening operation;

As the head l6 reaches the lower end of its swing,the-face cam 44, acting through the lever assembly -48, etc., shifts the position of the valve 40 to admit motive fluid below the piston 35, thus causing it to move the head It upwardly until it is stopped by the spring 56, and such piston throw limiting means as may be provided for the piston 35. Air under pressure is maintained in the portion of the cylinder 25 below the piston until the valve! is again actuated by the cam 44 and the associatedmechanism;

but in the meantime, the cam 25 again acts to initiate the closing movement of the shear blades and the cycle of operationis' then repeated.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate certain alternative forms of shear mechanism which may be used in place of the one shown in Figs. 1-5, inclusive. The construction now under consideration presents a number'of features (e. g., a pair of cats eye shear'blades -60 with their attached semi-cylindrical cup guards Gila-60a; a

corresponding pair of shear blade supporting arms Gl-Gl pivotally mounted on a shaft 52 in a U-shaped head 63, and interconnected by bevel gear sectors 64-64 and a bevel pinion 65; and double acting snap springs 65-56 for alternately resisting and assisting the closing and opening of the shear blades) which are substantially identical with the corresponding parts of' the first described construction, and which do not therefore require further attention. The shear.

blade elements of this second exemplary severing mechanism are closed by the action of a revolving dog 61, which is secured to the shaft 21; and which isadapted to engage with a cam-68 that forms a part of the upper shear blade arm;

the general character and mode of action of these engaging elements being the same as is shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 5 (supra).

.But in this case the member 68 is further provided, on its upper side, with a wedge shaped face cam 69, that is adapted to engage with a roller Ill-at the lower end of a short stud 1|,"

which is slidably mounted in the U-shaped shear head 63, and is engaged in turn by an adjustable stop screw 12 carried by an adjacent portion of the machine frame. closing of the shear blades by'the action of'the revolving dog automatically moves the shear h'ead downwardly, (by the reaction between the wedge cam 69 and the stationary roller 10) and by properly shaping the face of the cam 69 one can obtain any desired ratio between the concurrent transverse and axial movements of the cutting elements-relative to the glass streamduring the severing operation.

The shear head 63 is provided with laterally extending bosses 13-13 which slidably engage with the vertical drive shaft 21 and withan associated stationary guide rod 14, that is carried by the machine frame. The journal pin 62, on which the shear blade arms are pivotally mounted, is rigidly secured in the shear head 63 and is extended upwardly to engage with the lower portion of a hollow piston red 15, which is connected, at its upper end, to a'piston 16,.thatslides in a fixed cylinder 1! carried by the guide rod l4. When this piston is at the top of its stroke, the shear head 53 is held in its raised position (with the stud ll in abutting engagement with the stop screw 12) by a tension spring 18 which With this arrangement the elements 16 and 62. The admission of motive fluid to the opposite ends of the cylinder T1, for the purpose of moving the elastically connected members 70 and 62 up and down, is controlled by a triple piston valve 80, whose stem 81 is extended downwardly through a guide block 82 adjustably secured on the guide rod 14, and is provided with adjustable collars 83 and 84, that cooperate with the tappet elements 85 and 86, in effecting the shifting or reversal of the control 80. Motive fluid is supplied to the central chamber of the valve 80 through a pipe 81 which leads to any suitable source of supply.

The mode of, operation of the above described form of severing mechanism is as follows: In the position shown, the motive fluid supply pipe 8'1 is in communication with the lower end of the cylinder ll (through the passage 38) and all of the parts are held in their raised position ready for the severance of the glass stream. As the shaft 21 revolves the dog 67 is engaged, at the proper instant, with the shear arm cam 68 and acts to close the shear blades, this closing movement effecting, as already explained, a concurrent downward movement of the cutting elements, which is controlled, in amount, by the contour of the face cam 89, and which is permitted by the stretching of the spring 78. As the head 63 moves downward the tappet 86 engages the end of a pivoted dog on the valve stem collar 84 and pulls the valve 89 downward, thus cutting off communication between the supply pipe 87 and the bottom of the cylinder "H, opening the latter to the atmosphere and concurrently admitting motive fluid to the upper end of the cylinder. The resultant downward movement of the piston 16 immediately re-engages the end of the piston rod '15 with the shear frame head 63 and carries the latter with it at a progressively accelerated velocity which is of course communicated to the severed charge by the closed shear blade and attached cup guard elements. In this downward movement the dog on the valve stem collar 84 is disengaged from the shear head tappet 86, by the engagement of. a lateral projection on the .dog with an adjacent lug 90 on the cylinder frame 71, and the balanced piston valve 80 is thus left in its lowered position until the piston 16 and the shear head 63 approach the lower end of their stroke. At this point in the operation, a wedge-shaped cam finger 89, which is attached to the adjustable guide block 82, engages with a lateral projection on one of the shear blade arms, and cooperates with the double action snap spring in opening these arms in the manner previously described. Concurrently with this action a beveled projection 92 on the head 63 makes contact with the upper end of the tappet lever 85, and rocks this lever in a clockwise direction on its pivot support to engage and lift the valve stem collar 83, thereby restoring the valve 80 to its initial position, in which the lower end of the cylinder 77 is in communication with the fluid supply pipes? and the upper end is open to the atmosphere. The piston 78 is then immediately returned to the upper end of its stroke, carrying with it the shear head 63 and its associated parts. This completes the cycle of one severing operation.

In the construction last described no means are provided for imparting a lateral or transverse component of motion to the shear head during its downward movement; but the cross sectional area of the cylinder i1 is designedly such that the accelerated velocity imparted to the severed chargeby the action of the motive fluid on the piston l6is so great that it will be projected into the press mold before the relatively slow lateral movement of the latter can interfere with its proper reception. In order to attain this result the shear closing dog 61 must of course be so adjusted on the shaft 27 that the charge is severed just before the subjacent mold adapted to receive the charge is brought into vertical alignment with the axis of the cylinder '11; this adjustment varying of course with the peripheral (circumferential) speed of travel of the receiving receptacles, and their vertical distance below the plane of severance.

In Fig. 9 a slight modification is shown of one portion of the construction illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. In this modification the bevel gear pinion 65 which connects the bevel gear sectors 63-88 of the two shear blade arms, is keyed to its supporting shaft 65a and the outer end thereof is provided with a crank arm 95 which carries a pin 96 that is adapted to be engaged by the hooked extremity of a lever 91, when the shearhead 63 is in its raised position. The lever 91 is pivotally mounted on the frame of the cylinder l"! and when the head 63 is moved downward the engagement of the hooked lever 91 with the crank pin 96 will rotate the shaft 65a and its connected bevel pinion and will thereby close the shear blades. As soon as this has been effected the parts 96 and 91 are disconnected by the engagement of a stud pin 98 on the downwardly moving head, with a projection 99 on the lever 91. At the end of the downward movement of the shear frame, the shear blades are opened by the engagement of a fixed pin 100 with a projecting tooth on the crank arm 95.

In operating the modified construction last described the initial downward movement of the shear head 68 may be produced and controlled by the action of a suitably contoured face cam on the shaft 27 (which takes the place of the edge cam tooth 91) and the following accelerated delivery and return movements effected by the pneumatically actuated mechanism shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. When operated in this way the only material difference between the two constructions shown in Figs. 6 and 9 is that in the first the mechanical closing of the shear blades (by the cam on the shaft 27) is the cause of the concurrent axial movement of the shear head; whereas in the second, the initial cam actuated downward movement of this head effects the closing of the cutting elements; a reversal of cause and effect.

While certain exemplifications of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that certain changes, modifications, substitutions and omissions may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

It will be understood that there have been devised several other structures and procedures for severing a continuously flowing stream of molten glass and in which the shear blades move downwardly with the stream during the severance and that such structures and procedures not only structurally and functionally distinguish from the subject matter herein claimed, but also form the subject matter of and are claimed in the following Letters Patent Nos. 2,166,563 of July 18, 1939, 2,164,184 of June 27, 1939, 2,143,096 of January 10, 1939, 2,108,518 of February 15, 1938, 2,100,760 of November 30, 1937, 2,092,865 of September 14, 1937, 2,092,864 of September 14, 1937, 2,090,082

of August 17, 1937, and 2,062,623'0f December 7 t 1, 1926. v j

What is claimed as new and desired to be sei M v I I the head downwardly during the closing moveglass feeder com- 7 blades during the downward movement of the cured byLetters Patentis:

1. A shear mechanism for a prising coacting shear blades, a movable head on which said blades are mounted, means carried by said head for actuating said blades, means for reciprocating said head, cam fingers carried by said shear actuating means, a cam 'aositioned'tov engage one of said fingerswhile saidhead is in one position, and a seoond'cam positioned to en' gage the other of said fingers" as said head is moving to another position. I i I 2. In a glass fabricating apparatus, ashear mechanism comprising a head, shear blades carried by the head, means for reciprocating thehead, means for, initiating a closing movement of the blades, and means for; accelerating that movement while said head is moving. v

3. In a glass fabricating apparatus, a shear mechanism comprising a movable head,q-shear blades carriedbythehead, means for moving line. v

blades carried by said head, means carried by such blades for loosely engaging a severed charge,

means for closing the blades, means'for moving m'entlof said blades, and means for opening the 5. In a glassgfabricating apparatus, a shear mechanism comprising a head, a pair of shear bla desc arried by the head, means for closing said blades, means for moving said head along a said blades, whilesaid blades are closing and then along acurved line, and means for opening said blades.

v I 6. A shear mechanism for severing successive charges of molten glass from a suspended stream, a comprising a headga pair of blades carried by 1 ment of said blades, means for moving said head parallel to the line of fiowof said stream during the closing movement of s'aid blade s and for then movingsaid head along a curved line, and means for initiating theope'ning movement of said blades as said headis moving along said curved MIIDRED 5M. WADQSWOR'IH,

Administfatrizc of the estate ofiFrank o. Wadsworth, Deceased. 

